Closures



Jan. 9, 1968 J. E. WALDRUM 7 .CLOSURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 14, 1964 ATTORNEY Jan. 9, 1968 J. E. WALDRUM 3,362,556

CLOSURES 2 Sheets-Sheet Z Filed Dec. 14, 1964 INVENTOR. J04 if fl zfdrmw/ ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,352,556 Patented Jan. 9, 1968 3,362,556 CLOSURES John E. Waldrum, Ambler, Pa. 19002 Filed Dec. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 418351 Claims. (Cl. 215-38) This invention relates in general to the art of closures, and more particularly to a non-resilient type of closure deigned for use in conjunction with a resilient nozzle, especially a blown bottle nozzle.

In accordance with the instant invention, the closure may be fabricated from a non-resilient material such as thermo-setting plastic or may be formed of metal of adequate gauge for the purpose. The principals herein disclosed as constituting the novel features are equally applicable to either made or female type closures.

If the closure is of the male type, the corresponding plastic bottle nozzle will have a shoulder or ridge on the inside surface, while the closure itself will be provided with an annular external ridge for interlocking relationship. When this closure is forced into the bottle nozzle, the plastic nozzle will he forced to expand to receive the external ridge and then contract once the respective external ridge of the closure and internal ridge of the nozzle have passed.

The flexing of the resilient nozzle allows the corresponding shoulders of the closure and the nozzle to pass and interlock thus forming a leakproof container. A prying side pressure exerted on the closure is all that will be required to open the container while the resiliency of the nozzle itself operates to assure tight closure in storage.

When a female type closure is utilized, the flexing action of the nozzle sidewalls is reversed. In this application, the sidewalls are first compressed by the action of the non-resilient closure. After the respective shoulders of the closure and nozzle pass, the sidewalls return to their initial position thus locking the closure of the bottle nozzle. This type of design is especially desirable whenever the contents of the container are oily or of a composition having a tendency to impregnate the material from which the container is formed and thus cause swelling of the nozzle.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a novel closure utilizing the action of resilient and nonresilient members.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel closure wherein the depending sidewalls of a non-resilient cap are provided with an internally projecting annular ridge.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel closure supporting a non-resilient, outwardly projecting, annular ridge.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel closure of the non-resilient type that is locked into position by the flexing action of a nozzle of a resilient bottle.

' It is another object of this invention to provide a novel closure of the non-resilient type incorporating a projecting annular shoulder designed for locking engagement upon a projecting annular shoulder of a resilient bottle.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel closure of the non-resilient type providing positive, double contact, sealing action.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel closure of the non-resilient type that is simple in operation, inexpensive in manufacture and trouble-free upon use.

Other objects and a'fuller understanding of the invention will be had by referring to the following description and claims of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which: i

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a bottle constructed in accordance with the instant invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly broken away showing bottle and closure in place.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross section of a bottle nozzle and closure prior to locking in closed position.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the closure of FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a modified bottle constructed in accordance with the instant invention.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view, partly broken away showing modified bottle and closure in place.

FIG. 7 is a partial cross section of a modified bottle nozzle and closure prior to locking in closed position.

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the modified enclosure of FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of a modified type of closure showing cap being applied to a bottle nozzle.

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a modified type of closure showing cap in closed and sealed position.

FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of a modified type of closure showing cap being removed from nozzle.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line l212 of FIG. 11.

Although specific terms are used in the following description for the sake of clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to the particular structure of my invention selected for illustration in the drawings and are not intended to define or limit the scope of the invention.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the invention comprises a female closure generally designated A and a male bottle generally designated B. Closure A may be constructed of non-resilient material such as metal or thermosetting plastic while bottle B is fabricated of resilient construction such as polyethylene plastic.

Closure A may be fabricated from a sheet of material suitable for the purpose for operation with a resilient bottle nozzle 10. Cylindrical sidewalls 11 depend from discoid top 14 forming a liquid impervious, circular joint 12. Sidewalls 11 terminate downwardly in an inwardly projecting, annular shoulder 13 which is parallel with and spaced from top 14. The material used must be of sufficient strength to prevent relative movement between top 14 and sidewalls 11 when closure A is either placed over or removed from the nozzle 10 of bottle B.

Bottle B may be of the well-known hollow, moulded polyethylene type and formed with an upwardly projecting, concentric nozzle 10. Nozzle 10 terminates upwardly in an outwardly projecting, annular shoulder 15 of mean diameter equal to or slightly larger than mean diameter of closure shoulder 13. Cooperating correspondingly inclined mating surfaces 16 of closure shoulder 13 and 17 of nozzle shoulder 15 seat upon each other and respectively form a leak-proof seal 18 when in closed position 19. Height 20 of nozzle shoulder 15 must be carefully adjusted to fit within the annular space 21 remaining between bottom 22 of closure top 14 and closure shoulder 13 while top 23 of nozzle 10 contacts bottom 22 of the closure. A second liquid-tight seal 24 is provided when closure A is positioned upon nozzle 10 by the outward resilient action of the nozzle. The resilient force acts along the plane of inclined surfaces 16, 17 thereby urging nozzle top 23 into tight engagement upon closure bottom 22.

Referring now to FIG. 3, it is seen that when applying a closure to the nozzle '10, a downward force 25 must be applied to snap closure shoulder 13 over nozzle shoulder 15 by temporarily deforming a portion of nozzle side wall 26. Once the respective shoulders have passed, the natural resiliency of the nozzle side wall 26 acts outwardly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bottle thereby pressing mating surfaces 16, 17 into a tight seal 18. A

portion of the same resilient force acts along the inclined mating surfaces 16, 17 urging closure bottom 22 against nozzle top 23 thereby assuring a second fluid tight seal 24.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a modified form of the invention is set forth comprising a male closure generally designated A and a female bottle generally designated B. Closure A may be fabricated from non-resilient material of suflicient thickness for operation with a modified, resilient bottle nozzle 27. As seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, closure A comprises a flat, generally cylindrical body 28 terminating upwardly in a concentric flange 36 of diameter greater than diameter of body 28 and of nozzle 27. Closure A terminates downwardly in an outwardly projecting, annular shoulder 29 which is parallel with and spaced from said top flange 30.

Nozzle 27 of modified bottle B terminates upwardly in an inwardly projecting, annular shoulder 31 of mean diameter equal to or slightly less than mean diameter of closure shoulder 29. Cooperating, correspondingly inclined, mating surfaces 32 of closure shoulder 29 and 33 of nozzle shoulder 31 seat upon each other and respectively form a leak-proof seal 34 when in closed position 35. Height 36 of nozzle shoulder 31 must be carefully adjusted to fit within the annular recess 37 remaining between bottom 38 of top flange 3t) and closure shoulder 29 while top 39 of nozzle 27 contacts flange bottom 38. It is thus seen that a second liquid-tight seal 40 is provided when closure A is positioned upon nozzle 27 by the inwardly directed resilient action of the nozzle. The resilient force acts along the plane of inclined surfaces 31, 32 thereby urging nozzle top 39 into tight engagement upon flange bottom 38.

Referring now to FIG. 7, it is seen that when applying a closure to the nozzle 27, a downward force 41 must be applied to snap closure shoulder 29 over nozzle shoulder 31 'by temporarily deforming a portion of nozzle sidewall 42. Once the respective shoulders. have passed, the natural resiliency of the nozzle sidewall 42 acts inwardly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bottle thereby pressing mating surfaces 32, 33 into a tight seal 34. A portion of the same resilient force acts along the inclined mating surfaces 32, 33 thereby urging closure flange bottom 38 against nozzle top 39 thus assuring a second fluid-tight seal 34.

Referring now to FIGS. 9-12, I show a modified, tamper-proof type of female closure A constructed of nonresilient material for use with a modified bottle generally designated B formed of resilient material the same as hereinbefore set forth.

Non-resilent closure A may be stamped or otherwise formed to provide a discoid top 44 having sidewalls 45 depending therefrom forming a fluid-tight joint 46 turned downwardly ninety degrees from the plane of the top. Sidewalls 45 terminate downwardly in an inwardly turned locking ledge 47, said ledge being bent inwardly at an angle of ninety degrees from the sidewalls thus providing an annular locking arrangement at the bottom of the closure. As best seen in FIG. 12, the sidewalls 45 are crimped inwardly about the periphery to provide a plurality of inwardly projecting, vertically disposed, cutting surfaces 48.

In accordance with my modified closure, bottle B terminates upwardly in an open, generally cylindrical, resilient nozzle 49 having an integral, annular locking collar 50 projecting therefrom. Collar 50 extends downwardly and outwardly from top 51 in a circular, inclined face 52 defining a circular lip 53 which projects at right angles from nozzle 49 thus forming a flange of substantially triangular cross section. The distance from the bottom of locking collar 50 to nozzle top 51 should be slightly less than the distance between the bottom surface 54 of closure top 44 and the top of locking ledge 47 to assure a fluid-tight seal when in use.

In order to use my modified invention, the material to be stored (not shown) should first be poured into the bottle B. Closure A should then be applied to the nozzle 49 by tilting the closure and engaging one portion of locking ledge 47 under projecting lip 53 of locking collar 50. Downward pressure 55 may then be applied to closure cover 44 at the portion diametrically opposite to the previously engaged portion of the ledge 47. The pressure 55 will urge ledge 47 downward along the inclined face 52 of locking collar 50 thus forcing the resilient nozzle 49 to compress slightly as required. When locking ledge 47 clears nozzle lip 53, the natural resiliency of the nozzle material will spring the nozzle back to its original cylindrical configuration. The interlocking of closure ledge 47 below nozzle lip 53 pulls top 51 of the nozzle 49 into sealing engagement with the underside 54 of the closure top 44 thereby assuring a fluid-tight arrangement by utilizing the natural resiliency and compres sibility of the nozzle.

In order to open this modified closure to gain access to the bottle contents, the closure A must be grasped tightly with the fingers or with a wrench as may be required by the strength of the resilient material utilized when forming the bottle and then a horizontal twisting motion 56 must be applied while the bottle is maintained stationary. The force applied will cause closure A to turn relative to bottle B and cutting surfaces 48 will bite into the softer material of the locking collar 50. In such a manner, the outermost triangular edge 57 of locking collar 50 will be severed by cutting surfaces 48 forming an abbreviated collar 58, thereby permitting the closure A to be easily lifted from the nozzle using a small upward force 59.

It will of course be readily apparent that the principles set forth herein for the male tamper-proof type of closure will be equally applicable to a female type of closure by following the teachings of the foregoing specification and drawing.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree of particularly, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a bottle closure, the combination of a bottle constructed with an upward facing nozzle of resilient material and a closure fabricated of non-resilient material, said closure having side walls that are rigid and nonyieldable to forces exerted by interaction with the said nozzle; said bottle nozzle terminating upwardly in an outwardly projecting annular shoulder; said closure comprising a discoid top and depending cylindrical sidewalls forming a fluid-tight joint with said top, said sidewalls terminating downwardly in an inwardly projecting annular shoulder, said shoulder being spaced from said top a distance equal to the width of the said outwardly projecting annular shoulder; the mean diameter of said nozzle shoulder being equal to the mean diameter of said closure shoulder and said closure shoulder being positioned below said nozzle shoulder when in closed engagement.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said nozzle shoulder and said closure shoulder are regular triangular in cross section, said respective shoulders having equally inclined sides, one of said sides of nozzle shoulder forming a fluid-tight seal against one of said inclined sides of closure shoulder, and top of said nozzle forming a second fluid-tight seal against bottom surface of said closure top.

3. In a bottle closure, the combination of a bottle constructed with an upwardly facing, resilient nozzle and a non-resilient closure, said closure having side walls that are rigid and non-yieldable to forces applied upon interaction with the said nozzle, said nozzle terminating upwardly in an inwardly projecting annular shoulder; said closure comprising a discoid top and depending, concentric, cylindrical body defining a top circular flange, said body terminating downwardly in an outwardly projecting annular shoulder, said shoulder being spaced from said top circular flange a distance equal to the width of the said resilient inwardly projecting annular shoulder, the mean diameter of said nozzle shoulder being equal to the mean diameter of said closure shoulder and said closure shoulder being positioned below said nozzle shoulder.

4. In a bottle closure, the combination of a resilient upwardly extending nozzle terminating in a horizontal top opening and a non-resilient closure, said closure having side walls that are rigid and non-yieldable to forces applied upon interaction with the said nozzle, having discoid top and depending, cylindrical sidewalls defining a top flange, said nozzle incorporating inwardly projecting closure engaging means; and said closure sidewalls incorporating outwardly projecting nozzle engaging means, said means being spaced from said top flange a distance equal to the width of the said resilient inwardly projecting closure engaging means, said closure engaging means contacting said nozzle engaging means whereby a fluidtight seal is provided.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein the top of said nozzle contacts the bottom of said closure providing a second fluid-tight seal and resilient means in said nozzle urging said closure flange and said nozzle into fluid-tight engagement.

6. In a tamper-proof bottle closure of the type wherein a non-resilient cap snaps upon a resilient bottle, the combination of a generally circular cap, said cap formed with depending cylindrical sidewalls, said sidewalls being crimped to form a plurality of peripheral, inwardly facing cutting surfaces and said sidewalls terminating downwardly in an inwardly bent, circular, bottle engaging locking ledge, said locking ledge being spaced from said top by height of said sidewalls and said ledge lying in a horizontal plane parallel to plane through said top; and a bottle formed with an upwardly extending, generally cylindrical nozzle, said nozzle terminating upwardly in an annular, projecting locking flange, said flange being substantially triangular in cross section having a downwardly inclined face connecting top of nozzle with bottom of said flange, said bottom of flange forming an accute angle with said inclined face and defining a locking lip, said lip being spaced from and parallel with said top of nozzle and a portion of said lip in contact with said cutting surfaces whereby said closure may be opened by turning said cap relative to said bottle thereby permitting said cutting sur-, faces to remove a portion of said locking lip.

7. The invention of claim 6 whereby said ledge is spaced from said top of cap a distance slightly less than distance between said locking lip and said top of bottle.

8. The invention of claim 6 whereby said ledge is spaced from said top of cap a distance slightly less than distance between said locking lip and said top of bottle, and whereby said ledge of cap snaps under said locking lip of bottle thereby compressing material of said locking flange.

9. In a tamper-proof bottle closure of the type wherein non-resilient and resilient structural elements are utilized, the combination of a non-resilient cap closing upon a resilient bottle, said cap having generally discoid top, cylindrical sidewalls depending from said top and terminating downwardly in bottle engaging means, said bottle engaging means including an inwardly projecting locking ledge extending from said sidewalls, said ledge lying in a plane parallel with plane of said top, and said sidewalls incorporating shearing means; and said bottle supporting an upwardly extending, open nozzle, said nozzle terminating upwardly in cap engaging means.

10. In a tamper-proof bottle closure of the type wherein non-resilient and resilient structural elements are utilized, the combination of a non-resilient cap closing upon a resilient bottle, said cap having generally discoid top, cylindrical sidewalls depending from said top and terminating downwardly in bottle engaging means, said bottle engaging means including an inwardly projecting locking ledge extending from said sidewalls, said ledge lying in a plane parallel with plane of said top, and said cap engaging means including an outwardly projecting, peripheral collar at upper terminus of said bottle nozzle, said collar having downwardly inclined exterior face and said face terminating downwardly in an acute angle defining a circular lip, the said sidewalls incorporating shearing means; and said bottle supporting an upwardly extending, open nozzle, said nozzle terminating upwardly in cap engaging means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,990,076 6/1961 Stull 215-41 X 3,128,016 4/1964 Ferri 222-212 3,187,966 6/1965 Klygis 222-541 2,099,056 11/1937 Ferngren 229-43 X 2,614,727 10/ 1952 Robinson 220- 2,956,721 10/1960 Bennett 22943 2,958,439 11/1960 Yochem 215-41 X 2,982,450 5/1961 Whitton 251-41 X FOREIGN PATENTS 621,650 6/1961 Italy.

DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner. 

1. IN A BOTTLE CLOSURE, THE COMBINATION OF A BOTTLE CONSTRUCTED WITH AN UPWARD FACING NOZZLE OF RESILIENT MATERIAL AND A CLOSURE FABRICATED OF NON-RESILIENT MATERIAL, SAID CLOSURE HAVING SIDE WALLS THAT ARE RIGID AND NONYIELDABLE TO FORCES EXERTED BY INTERACTION WITH THE SAID NOZZLE; SAID BOTTLE NOZZLE TERMINATING UPWARDLY IN AN OUTWARDLY PROJECTING ANNULAR SHOULDER; SAID CLOSURE COMPRISING A DISCOID TOP AND DEPENDING CYLINDRICAL SIDEWALLS FORMING A FLUID-TIGHT JOINT WITH SAID TOP, SAID SIDEWALLS 